Combination-tool.



PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

INVENTORS Isaac 6i. O'Jfarra rZu/curZJZ afluke k'l L,

ATTORNEYS E. J. LA DUKE & I. G. OHARRA. COMBINATION TOOL APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. LA DUKE AND ISAAC G. OHARRA, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

i COMBINATION-TOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed June 30, 1905. Serial No. 267,724.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known thatwe, EDWARD J. LA DUKE and IsAAc G. OHARRA, citizens of the United States, and residents of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a new and Improved Combination- Tool, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to measuring instruments such as used by artisans and handicraftsmen in laying out work. The ,tool is expected to be especially useful to the carpenters trade.

The object of the" invention is to produce a tool which will be, in effect, a combination of a rule, try-square, bevel-gage, calipers, and dividers.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and definitely set forth in the claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar reference characters designate similar parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tool. Fig. 2 is a detail 01 a pivot-joint of the tool, the same being an edge view, the body of the tool being broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail of a knuckle-joint which constitutes a feature of the invention, a portion of this view being represented in section, and certain parts are broken away, the dotted lines in the view being used to represent possible relations of the parts. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section taken at one extremity of the tool and illustrating the details of its construction, this view being upon a somewhat enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the rear side of the knuckle-joint shown in Fig. 3, this view being upon an enlarged scale; and Fig. 7 is a side view of the pivot-joint of the tool, upon an enlarged scale, the legs being represented as broken away.

Before proceeding to a detailed description of the invention it should be stated that in its construction it closely resembles an ordinary two-foot rule. The construction, however, comprises certain features which enable the tool to be used in the different capacities suggested.

Referring more particularly to the parts, 1 and 2 represent the legs of the device, which have a pivotal connection at a pivot-head 3,

' the said head being substantially circular in form and being provided with a clampmg pivot-bolt 4. The parts of this pivot-head are formed with graduations, as indicated most clearly in Fig. 7, so that the head constitutes a protractor f or measuring angles, it being understood that by means of a lever 5 the legs 1 and 2 may be clamped in any angular relation desired. In this connection attention is called to the fact that the inner or adjacent edges 5 of the legs 1 and 2 are disposed substantially radially from the axis of the pivot-bolt 4. From this arrangement the difference in direction of these edges is accurately indicated or measured by the graduations referred to on the pivot head, the same representing degrees. The legs 1 and 2 are of such length that the device is adapted to be used as an instrument for ruling, said legs being graduated into inches or a similar linear unit of measure. In practice the legs would be of such proportions that the device would constitute substantially a two-foot rule. The limbs are provided with knuckle-joints or knuckles 6 at the. usual points. The construction of one of these joints is very clearly shown in Fig. 3. The inner limb 7 of the leg is provided with an offset head 8, which is preferably of square form, as indicated. The outer limb 9 is attached centrally through this head 8 by means of a pivot-pin 10. The head 8 is received in a socket 11, formed in the extremity of the outer limb, and the rear wall of this socket consists of a leaf-spring 12, which is attached at 13 to the edge of the limb, its extremity coinciding substantially with the extremity of the limb at the joint. The head 8 is offset upwardly, as indicated, so that a shoulder 14 is formed on the rear side, and against this shoulder abuts the extremity of the leaf-spring 12 when the limbs are in their extended relation. WVith this arrangement the outer faces of the limbs are brought into the same plane. The limb 7 may be rotated upon the pivot-pin 10, so as to bring any one of the head-faces 15, 16, and 17 into contact with the inner face of the leaf-spring 12. When the face 15 is in contact with the leaf-spring, the limbs of the rule are extended, as shown in Fig. 3. When the face 16 is in this relation, the limb 7 of IIO gular construction of the head 8 it follows that the spring 12 operates to maintain the parts in the different angular relations suggested. As the rotation takes place the cor- 11ers of the head engage the leaf-spring successively, so as to displace the same from its normal position, as will be readily understood.

From the construction described the device may evidently be folded so that the outer limbs will lie upon the inner limbs and the said limbs then fold together, so that the device will present substantially the appearance of an ordinary two-foot rule, and it is intended to be used as such when desired.

The bodies 18 of the limbs are preferably of wood edged with l'iiznling-strips of brass or similar material. At the extremities of the outer limbs 9 the bodies 18 are cut away, as indicated in Fig. 4, so as to form pockets or sockets 19. The rear edges or walls of these pockets are formed of leaf-springs 20, which constitute continuations of the brass binding-strip of the rule at this point. The sides of the rule are here preferably reinforced with brass plates 21, between which the pocket 19 is formed. In each pocket there is mounted a short blade 21, which is formed with a head 22, from which the body tapers to a point 23. As indicated in Fig. 4, the outline of the socket conforms substantially to the outline of the blade, and the blade is mounted in position upon a pivotpin 24, which passes through the head 22, as indicated. This head is provided with three faces 25, 26, and 27, which constitute three sides of a square. The blade normally lies in the pocket, as indicated, but may be rotated outwardly, so as to assume the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in F ig. 1 or so as to assume the position indicated in full lines in the same figure. l/Vhen in the latter position, the faces 27 01 the blades will lie against the inner faces of the leaf-springs 20. In this connection attention is called to the fact that the face 27 is depressed with respect to the outer edge of the blade, so that when the points are opened out, as indicated in fulllines in Fig. 1. their rear edges constitute cont-inuations of the outer edges of the body of the rule. When the blade 21 occupies the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the face 26 will lie against the leaf-spring, as will be readilyunderstood. The mode of operation of this joint for attaching the blades is similar to that of the knuckles 6, it being other.

understood that as the blade is rotated the corners of the head 22 will engage the leafspring 20 and displace the same outwardly. In order to facilitate the opening out of the blades 21 in the manner described near the rear edges thereof, we provide notches 28, adapted to receive ones thumb-nail, and recesses 29 are formed in the edges of the brass plates 21 which aline with these notches and enable the thumb-nail to reach them. As indicated in Fig. 5, the blades 21 preferably taper toward the points 23, as seen in edge view. With the points 21 extended, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 1, the device constitutes inside calipers and also a compass or dividers for laying off distances or describing circles. When both the points or blades 21 are at right angles to the legs of the rule, as suggested, the device then constitutes a pair of calipers, the distances being measured between the extremities of the blades 21, which would project toward each When so arranged, the instrument would constitute outside calipers. When it is desired to use the device as atry-square, the limbs 1 and 2 would be locked or clamped in position at right angles to each other, as indicated in Fig. 7. By reason of the degreemarks on the pivot-head 3 the device evidently constitutes a bevel fo measuring or laying off inclined cuts.

The tool described is evidently very simple in construction and combines the usefulness of the different tools to which reference has been made.

Having thus described our invention, We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent A tool of the class described, comprising two pivoted legs having limbs with connecting-joints, one of said limbs at each joint hav ing a head presenting three flat faces, a spring attached to the opposite limb and engaging said faces, respectively, to hold said limbs in rigid relation, the outer of said limbs having sockets, and pivoted blades carried by said outer limbs and normally lying in said sockets.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD J. LA DUKE. ISAAC G. OHARRA. Witnesses:

R. J. HUs'roN, D. M. LA DUKE. 

